Rotary engine



(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. I

. T. HARDING.

ROTARY ENGINE.

' N .'5 19,e02 Patented Nov. 12,1895.

FFICE.

THOMAS HARDING, OF SAN JOSE, (ALIFORXIA ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent ITO-549,602, dated November 12, 1895.

I Application filed ltlarch 2,1894. Serial No. 502,102r N model.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Ze it known that I, THOMAS HARDING, a

citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and

I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

3 and exact description of the invention, such as'willena-ble others skilled in the art to which' "165 it appertains to make and use the. same By the word engine as .ued in this specification I intend a mechanical 'contrivance employing the word in its broad sense.

improvement, therefore, not to he confined I 5 to those devices which are termed specifically rotary engines, in which a rotary motion of the piston is produced b v.t-hc.direct pressureof steam.

I wish it to be understood that my improvements hereinafter setforth may-be availed.

of in the construction and use of not only 1'0- itary engines specifically, but also'of wateriiiotors, in which the rotary motionof the piston is produced by hydraulic pressure, of pumps in which the rotary movement of the piston-produces a flow of water, and of w.

tor-meters in which the flow of water pro- .duces an indicating or measuring movement of the piston.

It is the object of my invention to much simplify this species of mechanical contriv ance and to make it accu 'ate and economical in use my improvements relating more espe' cially to the means for controlling the admission of steam or other.propelling fluid to the cylinder; to the means for automatically regulating the quantity of fluid supplied tothe engine, and'to the means for supporting the engineshaft. v .1

4o \Vith such objects in view my invention consists in the parts an d combinations thereof hereinafter particularly set forth and claimed.

of the casing or cylinder being removed to givea full view of theinterior and of the piston therein. Fi 2 is a sectional view on line II II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side or edge view of the pist'cln removed from the cylinder. Figs. i, 5, 6, and 7 illustrate by side and edge views the links for connecting the sliding p is ton-plates. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate by an edge and a face view one of the said plates.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a casing or part which is stationary and serves the purpose of the cylinder of the engine. It is preferably provided with one or more base port-ions, flanges, or feet 2, by which it may be attached to a foundation or other stationary support. It is provided with. a peripheral flange 3, through which enter into the inte-' rior of the cylinder the-steam or water admission ports & I and the exhaust-ports A live-steam pipe 6 and an exhaust-steam pipe 7 are connected with these ports'in any suitable manner, convenient arrangement :"for which I have shown in Fig. 1.

The casingv I is providedon one side of its head or on both sides, if neither of its heads is'f formed integral with the casing, withbolt holes 8, into which enter bolts 9, by whichthe header heads 10 is or are secured in place.

In the'c'onstruction shown the casingis made with both of its heads 10 separable. On each side of the casin gis formeda rabbet or recess 11,bounded-bya shoulder, which'rccess is of a diameter nearly as large as the interior di-. mension of the casing, which is concentric with the center of rotation of the piston hereinafterdescribed, and which is of a greater diameter and surroundsthe interior working opening of the casing-or cylinder.

The boundary or workingsurfacc of the cylinder'is indicated at 12. In a generalshape itis oblong, being formed of two circular or substantial]y-circular portions, which are so situated relative to each other as that their tion between the distance apart of the points.

0 andr to the distance between the points c and the working face of the cylinder, as shown in said Fig.1, to be suitable for practical purposes. The desired resiflt in determining said proportion is that two or more sliding piston-plates when mutually controlled, as hereinafter described, shall follow without much variation the contour of the interior or working face of the cylinder.

The main body of the rotary part or piston is indicated at l 2, Its particular shape is not of importance. Iprefer to make it round and concentric with the center of rotation r. For

the sake of lightness and in order to save.

metal the piston is preferably made hollow or partly hollow, bounded by a flange 13, which is of a width equal to the depth of the cavity of the cylinder 1. At two or more points in its periphery, preferably at four points, as illustrated, the flange 1 3 is provided with or formed with gnideways 14, in which tit rad ially-sliding piston-plates 15 of a width equal to that of the flange l3 and to the depth of the cavit y of the cylinder. These piston-plates l5 arecon nected with each other, so as mutually to control each other by means of links us", arranged sons to form a parallelogrannas seen in Fig. l. The links, Figs. at, 5, U, and 7, run obliquely from one plate to the neighboringplate, which is at an angle to the first plate, and are connected with said plates by means of pins 113, formed, preferably, on two of the links and engaging sleeves 18, formed on t he other twolinks, and said sleeves tit in bearings l7 in the piston-plates.

The foregoing being the construction and arrangement of the parts, it will be seen that as the live steam enters the port or ports 4 it will act upon the piston plate or plates .15 in advance of the said opening or openings and the piston 12, around the center of rotation 1'. As this takes place, the plates 15, which are opposite to or which are approaching the points 12;, will be forced inward by the contour or wall 1; of the cylinder and caused to so act upon the links which are pivoted to them as to force the other plate or plates 15, which are at or near the major axis of the oblong cylimlcr-cavitv, outward intocontact with or nearly into contact with the walls of the ends of said cavity. inasmuch as the contours of the two portions of the cavity may not be of exactly the correct shape or have exactly the proper relation to each other, I prefer to provide the plates l5 with w ring-actuatcd plunger-plates 19, which are provided with cavities il in which titspiral springs l. 'lhcse springs rest upon the .bottom of recesses 2;. in the plates l5 and tend to constantly press said plunger-plates outward into steam-tight contactwvith the walls of the cylinder. As the piston revolves, there will be a slight inward and outward play of these plunger-plates, in which movement they will be guided by the walls (if the said recesses.

At the points 13 on themiuor axis of the oblong cavity of thecylinder I prefer to fit into the walls of the latter, in suitably-formed recesses, bronze or other suitable metal pieces .lOint will always be maintained on the minor! axis of the cylinder where there will be con-- siderable wear.

indicates bolts, whi it pass through the head-plate of the piston and are adapted to engage with screw-thrcmled holes 24 in. the body of the latter or in the opposite headplate. The head-plates 10 fit closely against the sides of the piston-plates l5 and rotate in the recesses 11, already described, which are formed in the sides or ends of the cylintier-casing.

27 is a shaft concentric with the center of rotation 1', upon which shaft are mounted the rotary piston and the two piston-heads it). The heads 10 are preferably provided with central bosses or bearings 28 for the shaft.

'hen the device is used as a rotary engine specifically, power may be derived from a suitable wheel or pulley mounted upon the central shaft. \V hen the device is employed as a pump, rotary movement may be imparted to the piston by means of a belt or other power device connected with the said pulley and running from any suitable prime motor 01' engine.

The inclosing side or end plates of the easing are provided with suitable stuffing-boxes Ill, through which the ends of the central shaft pass out by steam-tight joints.

It will be observed that the live-steam ports are so situated that steam is admitted simultaneously at both sides of the piston-head in both portions of the cylinder-cavity, so

as to effect a complete balance of pressure able the radiallyonovablc plates to travel more closely to the interior walls or surfaces with which they form a steam-light joint,

tic

thus requiring less movement of the plunger:

plates in the piston-plates.

.l'. are bosses on the backs of the outer ot' the links lti, adapted to bear on the inner face of the plate to, whereby all four links are kept in place.

While the live steam and exhaust pipes t; and 7 may be connected )ermancntl v with the ports t and 5, respectively. and t he engine run always in. the same direction. unless live steam be turned into the pipe I and pipe (i used as aircxhaust, i prefer the :i'rtatngement shown in the .drawings, which enables the functions of the ports 1t and 5 to be interchanged and the direction of rotation "tobe readily reversed. To this cnd t'he Steam-ports are provided with a steaneehest glii, one at each side of the engine, into which the livesteam pipe 6 delivers, andvin said chests are fitted slide valves 34, adapted to place at the will of the engineer either the ports 4 or the ports 5 in communication with the chests, so as to receive steam. These valves are mounted on rods 35, which pass through stuffing boxes in the heads of the chests 33 and are pivot-ally connected with links 36. latter are joined to opposite arms of a lever 37, by the oscillation of whichthe valves 34 will be oppositely reciprocated to whollyor partly shut off steam or to admit 'steai'n at both sides of the engine, either to the back or to the front faces of the piston-plates, giving either a forward or backward rotation to the engine, as may be desired. v

.lhe casing 1 is formed with exhaust-cavities 38, with which the pipe 7 communicates,

and which are caused to receive exhaust-steam from either the ports 4 or the ports 5, according to the positions of the slide-valves.

Y \Vhen the machine is used as ahigh-speed motor, the supply of steam to the pipe 6 is governed in a very simple andeifective manner.

39 is a slide-valve in a bearing 40, running transversely of the pipe at a point above where it branches to the two steam-chests. This valve has apor't 41, which may be caused to more or less fully register with the pipe- Such movement is autoinatically eifeeted by links 42, connected with a rotary collar 43. on the exterior of the bearing 40, which collar bears against a sliding collar or sleeve 44, connected through a slot in the bearing 40 by a bolt with the valve. the valve 39 to'its full-port position and the tension of the spring on which in a measure will depend the speed of the machine, maybe regulated by a screw 47, mounted in the end of the bearing 40, and adapted to be screwed in against the outer end of the spring. The links 42 connect with weights 48, adapted to slide radially to the axis of the bearing 40 in suitable guideways in a combined governorcasing and belt-pulley 49. The said bearing 40 being parallel with the shaft 27, the pulley 49 is belted directly to a driving-pulley 50 on said shaft. WVhen the speed of the engine is too great, the weights 48 willbe forced farther outward, overcoming the tension of the spring 46 and causing the links 42 to draw on I. the valve 39 and diminish the'steam-passage through the latter, thus forming a very simple high-speed governor especially adapted for a rotary engine.

The bearings 51 for the shaft 27 are formed with screw-threaded shanks 52, which may be screwed up or down to bring the bearings i to the desired height'in female screw-threaded A spring 46 tends to force stands 54, bolted at 55 to a base-plate 56, to which latter are secured the flanges 2 of the engine-casing; When adjusted, the shanks 52 are clamped by jam nnts 57.

I claim-- 1 1. In arotary engine, the combination with the'cylinder having ports, and the conduit exterior to the cylinder and connecting said ports, of a rotary piston head therein, piston plates carried by such head, slide-valves nor- -mally stationary on opposite sides of the cylinder controlling said ports, a transverse pivoted lever 37, and links connecting the valves with the said lever for reversing the engine, substantially as set forth.

2. The combinationwith the engine casing having ports 4 and 5, the rotary piston 'provided with the piston plates, and links eonneeting the contiguous plates, of the slide" valves normally stationary, and adapted to cooperate with the ports and with exhaust passages for reversing the engine, a pivoted lever 37, and pivoted connections uniting the slide valves with said lever, substantially as set forth. a

3. In a governor for a rotary engine, the combination of the bearing 40, the sliding valve 39 therein, the sliding collar 44 on said bearing and connected with the valve 339, the

rotary and sliding collar 43adapted to engage said collar 44, links 42 connecting the collar 43 and radially sliding weights 48, and a rotary casing mounted on the bearing 40 and inclosing said weights, substantially as set forth.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination of the cylinder and steam supply pipe therefor having a horizontal transverse bearing 40,

valve 39, a spring 46, rotary collar 43 mountt ed upon the exterior of said bearing, links 42 connecting said collar with sliding weights 48, and casing 4 entirely inclosing said" weights, substantially as set forth.

5. In a rotary engine the combination with v the casing having ports, a conduit connecting said ports, and slide valves controlling said ports, of a rotary piston head, slides carried by said head, links connecting said slides, and flanges which inclose. said slides and links and rotate with the piston head, one of said slides having a sleeve orhub keyed to the engine shaft, and the other flange being mounted on the end of said hub, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in. the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS HARDING. Witnesses:

' J. FAIRLEY WIELAND,

J. R. KERSHNER. 

